Thursday 2. October 2014
Trinity 15
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7,12)
This Scripture verse is often referred to as "The Golden Rule". Treat others as you would want them to treat you. In general, all the laws we have as a society trace their way back to this verse. It is a verse that teaches virtue and respect. Jesus says that the entire Old Testament is summarized by the Golden Rule.
All of Holy Scripture points to Christ. The Old Testament looks forward to Him and the New Testament looks back to Him. Christ, therefore, is the Golden Rule personified. Christ treats us with compassion, love, mercy and forgiveness. These are golden virtues and they are Divine attributes. Jesus treats us as heirs of His Father's reign rather than the rebellious sinners our consciences tell us we are. Jesus does not give us what we deserve for our sins. Rather He bore the punishment for our sinfulness. He restored us as the rightful heirs as God's children.
We could paraphrase the Golden Rule as: Love God and love your neighbors as yourself. Here again, Jesus personifies this paraphrase. Jesus' love for His Heavenly Father lead Him to come to this earth to redeem fallen humanity. Jesus' love for His neighbors (all of us and the entire world) lead Him to suffer, die and rise again so that we would have eternal life as God's heirs. In doing so Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament and instituted a new and better one. Our salvation is grounded upon our crucified Christ who loves us and redeems us. We can be certain of this because God is true to His word and He delivers what He promises.
Prayer: O Merciful God, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, You give good gifts to Your children, the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Teach us to give the gift of love and mercy to our neighbors so that we may do unto others as we wish them to do unto us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (1094, Treasury of Daily Prayer)
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